Caught Red-Handed
by Maya Tamika
Summary: Finny finishes his work early and he did it well, so he goes to brag to Sebastian, but sees something unexpected. He's told to keep it a secret, but he was never very good at that. With the cat out of the bag, Ciel is forced to make some very difficult decisions and have some very difficult conversations. YAOI! Don't like, don't read! SebastionxCiel LOTS OF BOY KISSES!


Finny was the first victim.

He yawned and stretched. He was quite pleased with himself. He had managed to complete his chores without killing all the plants. Sure, some of them were dead, but it was a huge improvement over many (or even all) of them being dead.

He wandered into the main hall and glanced at the clock against the wall. It was about the time that Sebastian would normally be preparing the master's afternoon snack. Eager to brag about his accomplishment, Finny made his way to the kitchen.

He opened the door to the kitchen and walked in, a broad smile on his face as he announced, "Mr. Sebastian! I finished…" He stopped.

He had expected to see Sebastian working fervently on making some sort of sweet for the master, or at least preparing tea. The last thing he expected to see was Ciel in the kitchen.

And not only that, but he was KISSING Sebastian!

Ciel sat on the counter, his legs wrapped around Sebastian's waist and his ankles hooked by Sebastian's back. One hand was caressing Sebastian's cheek while the other weaved its way through Sebastian's black hair. Sebastian's wrists were resting on Ciel's shoulders and caressing his neck, trying to keep the flour on his flour-covered hands off Ciel's clothes and out of his hair.

When Ciel heard Finny's announcement, his left eye popped open. He uncrossed his ankles and pushed Sebastian away with a smack to the cheek. "What are you doing?" Ciel demanded, his face turning red.

Sebastian glanced over his shoulder at Finny, "too late, young master."

Ciel sighed, rested his elbows on his knees, and put his forehead in his hands, "so he saw us?"

"By the look on his face, I would assume so."

The look on Finny's face, to which Sebastian referred, was quite comical, to anyone who wasn't Sebastian or Ciel. Or, for that matter, Finny himself. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide. A few stuttering noises were coming from his throat, but nothing made any coherent sense, since he couldn't speak with his mouth open.

"Finnian," Sebastian said, "please close your mouth and speak like a regular human.

Finny closed his mouth and said, "y-y-you two…wh-what were you DOING?" He yelled the last word, earning a concerned shush from Ciel.

"Finny," Ciel said, hopping off the counter and approaching him, "you mustn't tell anyone what you saw, alright?"

"B-but…what…what did I see?" Finny asked, more to himself than to Ciel.

"If you're not sure, it's best if you just forget," Sebastian told him.

"You two…you're…you're…" Finny was having a hard time actually saying it out loud.

"Yes. We are," Sebastian confirmed, not needing to know what Finny was trying to say, "now, why are you done so early?" He went back to doing whatever he had been doing before.

That snapped Finny out of his stupidity, "oh, right! I came here to tell you that I finished the gardening for today, and I only killed a few of the plants!"

Sebastian smiled happily, "that's wonderful, Finny. Did you replace the ones you killed?"

Finny blinked and looked at Ciel. For a second, his mind wandered and he wondered if he would ever be able to see the master in the same light again. Then he remembered Sebastian's question, "oh…um…no."

"Well, then, you should do that."

Finny sighed and turned to leave, but as he did so, he noticed Tanaka sitting in the corner, sipping tea, as he always was.

He turned back to Sebastian for a moment, "was he in here the entire time that you were…?"

Ciel smirked and he and Sebastian both nodded.

"Wh-wha…?" Finny began.

"Finnian! The plants!" Sebastian demanded.

"Oh! Right!" Finny said before running out of the kitchen.

As soon as Sebastian was sure he was gone, he turned to Ciel, "now then, where were we?"

Ciel's smirk widened. Sebastian lifted him back onto the counter and leaned in.

"Of course, you realize this means your snack will be delayed today?" Sebastian asked.

Ciel placed his hands on the back of Sebastian's head and pulled him closer, "you're sweeter than any sweets you could make me. I think I'll live."

Their lips connected.

Finny wasn't quite sure what to make of what had just happened. Had he really just seen Sebastian kissing the master? Maybe it was a trick of the light. But, as soon as they realized he had seen them, they didn't try to deny it. What was going on between them? Maybe he would ask Bard or Meyrin. But, the master had said not to tell anyone. And he couldn't go against what the master said. He sighed. What now?

"Do you prefer rain or shine?" Ciel asked.

"Why do you ask?" Sebastian wondered. They were in Ciel's study. Ciel was enjoying his afternoon tea, and Sebastian was standing around because, well, he could.

"I'm just curious," Ciel told him.

"Well, neither really affects me much, so I can't really say that I have a preference. Both has their pros and cons. If I had to decide, though, probably sun."

"Why? I would have guessed you preferred rain."

"Well, cats hate water and rain is water. I hate to see cats in any sort of discomfort."

Ciel rolled his eyes, "of course that's the reason."

"What about you? Which do you prefer?"

Ciel sipped his tea and an evil smile crossed his face, "rain. Because cats don't like rain."

"You're cruel."

"Only to cats."

"Remind me again why I love you."

Ciel stood and slowly approached his butler. He grabbed Sebastian's shirt near the neck and pulled him down so Sebastian was leaning in to Ciel.

"Because I can do this," Ciel whispered before he closed the final distance between them. He pressed his lips to Sebastian's and moved them seductively. Sebastian followed his master's orders and responded accordingly with his own lips.

Soon, tongue was involved. Ciel remembered when Sebastian taught him how to dance, and tried to apply what he had learned to their kiss. Sebastian moaned in response and pressed against Ciel. He drove Ciel back until Ciel's back was against the edge of his desk. Sebastian leaned forward, forcing Ciel to lie on the desk, not that he minded.

Sebastian moved on top of his master, straddling him as he pressed their bodies together. He felt each breath as Ciel breathed it, and heard each heartbeat, which were beating much faster than normal.

Ciel sighed into Sebastian's mouth. Sebastian took in Ciel's sweet air, enjoying the scent and the taste of it. Sebastian put his hands on Ciel's waist and slowly moved them up to his chest, grazing his pecs, then down to his hips, and tantalizingly close to something that wanted attention.

Ciel writhed under Sebastian's touched, enjoying every minute of it. He put his hands on Sebastian's head, deepening the kiss and massaging his head.

"MR. SEBASTIAAAAN!" a loud voice suddenly called.

Sebastian groaned and removed himself from on top of Ciel, who let out a whimper of protest.

"That sounds like Meyrin. I'll need to see what she wants if you ever hope to wear any of your clothes again," Sebastian said, straightening his clothes.

"Very well," Ciel said, "but before you go…" He leapt onto the floor and pecked Sebastian's lips.

"I'll be back soon," Sebastian said as he retreated, "I promise."

Ciel sighed. Maybe it would be easier if they just told Meyrin and Bard about their relationship. Then they could have time together and be certain that they wouldn't be interrupted. Unless something went wrong… He thought for a moment. No, telling Meyrin and Bard wouldn't change anything. Accidents were just as likely to happen if they knew as if they didn't know.

Ciel fixed his clothes and hair, which Sebastian had managed to thoroughly dislocate. He walked around his desk and sat in his chair. He began attempting to make sense of the papers that had been thrown all over and crumpled by his body. Well, now Finny knew. Maybe he would wait and see how that played out and if it worked out well, he would tell Meyrin and Bard. But for now, it was best if they didn't know.

Sebastian returned later than he had expected. While he was helping Meyrin clean up, Bard had gone and utterly obliterated dinner, so there was that mess to clean up, too. But finally, he was free, and as long as Finny managed to plant the new plants without messing up (which he seemed fairly capable of doing on his own), then he could have some time alone with the master. Finally.

He arrived at the study and knocked gently on the door, "master?"

No response. He knocked again, but this time opened the door slightly as well. He saw Ciel sitting at his desk, sleeping soundly. His soft lips were parted slightly and his head was tilted back.

Sebastian approached and leaned in. He kissed Ciel slightly, as a bit of an experiment. He had never kissed Ciel while he was asleep before.

Ciel sighed and moaned slightly. He licked his lips, then closed them, and shifted, but did not awake. "Sebastian…" he whispered in his sleep.

Sebastian smiled. He was pleased that he could have such an effect on the boy. Sebastian looked out the window and saw dark clouds beginning to form. The window was open, so he closed it to prevent the impending rain from entering. Then he gently woke Ciel.

"Young master…you shouldn't sleep," Sebastian said quietly, "if you sleep now, you won't sleep tonight."

Ciel's eyes opened slightly. He smiled sleepily at his butler's red eyes. Sebastian kissed the tip of Ciel's nose.

Ciel shook his head. "Not good 'nuff…" Ciel said, still mostly asleep.

Sebastian understood and went for the lips.

"Ah! I managed to finish before the rain!" Finny said, proud that he had done so.

"Finny! Bard! Someone! Help!" Meyrin screamed.

"Meyrin!" Finny exclaimed, thoroughly worried. He had only just reached the door, and heard her from around the house, where she hung the washing. Finny ran around the house to find Meyrin struggling to take the washing down.

"Oh, Finny! Please help! I need to take this down before it rains, yes I do!" Meyrin told him.

Finny quickly jumped in to help. The wind was beginning to pick up, making it hard to get and keep a hold on the damp material. It had just begun to rain when they finished and made it inside.

"That was close," Finny said.

"Yeah. Thanks for your help, Finny! I never would have gotten everything inside on time if it hadn't been for you," Meyrin said. The two of them entered the kitchen.

Meyrin looked around, "hey, is it just me, or is it a little dirtier in here than Mr. Sebastian usually leaves it?"

"Huh? Oh, I guess it is," Finny said, then he remembered what he had seen earlier that day, "ah! That must be because he was…" He stopped himself. The master had told him not to tell anyone.

"Because of what?" Meyrin asked.

"B-because Bard did something, probably," Finny replied nervously.

Meyrin cocked her head at him skeptically, "right. It was probably his fault."

Finny was a bad liar, and it showed. Meyrin knew he was lying. She was very observant.

"Is something wrong?" Meyrin asked, trying to squeak the truth out of him.

"No. Nothing's wrong. Why would you think something's wrong?" Finny asked.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Meyrin narrowed her eyes. Not that Finny could tell behind her glasses. She would get the truth from him.

She was about to continue her interrogation, when Bard suddenly burst into the kitchen and interrupted, "Meyrin! Finny! You'll never guess what I saw!"

Finny let out a surprised yelp and clasped his hands over his mouth.

"What was it Bard?" Meyrin asked.

"I saw Sebastian defy the young master. Earlier today, I saw him bring a cat into his room!" Bard replied excitedly.

Finny sighed with relief, "really? That doesn't seem like something Sebastian would do."

"Well, I could see Sebastian bringing a cat into the mansion, but not against the young master's orders," Meyrin confirmed.

"Yeah, but I saw it with my own two eyes!" Bard announced.

Caught up in the excitement of the moment, Finny blurted, "I saw something too!"

He instantly had the full attention of Bard and Meyrin.

"Really? What was it?" Bard asked.

Realizing his mistake, Finny tried to think of a plausible excuse, "w-well…it's not so much something that I saw as it is something that I d-did…"

"Well? What did you do?" Bard pressed.

"I finished the gardening and I only k-killed a few plants!" Finny announced, trying to sound as excited as he could.

"Is that all?" Bard asked.

"Yeah. I mean, good work and all, but we were hoping for something with a little more…substance, yes we were," Meyrin said.

"W-well, that's what I did today," Finny forced a smile.

"Is that really all?" Meyrin asked skeptically. She assumed that he was hiding the same thing that he had been hiding before.

"Y-yes…?" Finny said hesitantly.

"Really?" Bard asked, "do you promise?"

Meyrin could practically see Finny's composure cracking.

"OKAY! I'LL TELL YOU! BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT A SECRET!" Finny blurted.

Meyrin and Bard exchanged a look. "Alright, we won't tell," Meyrin promised.

"I-I saw Mr. Sebastian…" Finny began slowly.

Meyrin and Bard leaned in.

"…k-k-kissing…the young m-master," Finny finished.

"What?" Meyrin demanded, getting instant nosebleed at the thought.

Bard's cigarette fell out of his mouth and he stared at Finny, "are you sure that's what you saw?"

"Yes! But you can't tell them I told you! I'd be in so much trouble!" Finny replied.

"We won't breath a word," Meyrin said, holding a serviette to her nose.

Bard said nothing.

"Bard? Please don't tell, okay?" Finny pleaded.

Bard rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced out the window, "yeah. Okay. I guess…"

"Oh! Thank you, Bard! I can't even imagine what would happen to me if Sebastian or the young master found out that I told you," Finny said, clearly relieved.

"Told them what?" Sebastian asked.

Finny turned, horrorstruck. Sebastian was standing right behind him.

"M-Mr. Sebastian! H-How long have you been standing there?" Finny asked.

"Long enough to wonder what it is your telling them," Sebastian said, smiling sweetly, but it was that smile that held a warning. Finny knew that smile well.

"I-I was…" Finny began.

"He was telling us about how he only killed a few plants today," Meyrin cut in, as she was a much more convincing liar.

"Ah, yes. We're all proud of Finny for his accomplishment," Sebastian said, "now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare the dinner that Bard destroyed. I suppose we can't all hit major milestones today." He added the last sentence on quietly so no one would hear.

"Hey, Finny," Meyrin said, " can you help me with this?" She gestured to the laundry that she still had with her.

"Uh, sure," Finny replied. He missed the subtle gesture that Meyrin gave to Bard.

"I'll help too!" Bard volunteered.

Before Finny knew it, he had been backed into a dark corner outside the entrance to the kitchen. It was the perfect hiding spot. And Finny knew that because, well…let's just say he had a good reason for knowing that it was a good hiding spot.

"Alright, so tell us the details!" Meyrin demanded somewhat quietly, so Sebastian wouldn't hear (Sebastian happened to be distracted, so his sensitive hearing didn't pick up on this conversation).

"Yeah! We want to know everything," Bard confirmed.

Finny began his story, "well…I had just finished the gardening and I was going to tell Mr. Sebastian that I had done it without killing all the plants. So I checked the time, and it was right around when Mr. Sebastian usually prepares the master's afternoon tea, so I figured he was in the kitchen, but when I entered the kitchen, I saw Mr. Sebastian kissing the young master!"

"And you're positive that's what you saw?" Meyrin asked.

"Yes! The master actually slapped Mr. Sebastian! I think he was trying to make me think that he had nothing to do with it, but then Mr. Sebastian said that it was 'too late'. Probably because I had already seen them," Finny continued.

"But…why would they be…doing that?" Bard asked. He wasn't sure what he should be thinking about his master.

"I-I don't know. I just," Finny suddenly found Meyrin's hand on his mouth.

"SH!" Meyrin shushed harshly. All three servants sunk into the corner. Finny noticed that he could hear footsteps. They sounded like the master's. Sure enough, a moment later, Ciel came into view. He looked around cautiously as he walked, then entered the kitchen.

"What's he doing?" Bard whispered.

"Let's find out!" Meyrin whispered back.

The three of them crept out of their hiding spot and made their way over to the door. They opened it a crack and peeked in.

In the kitchen, Sebastian was working on preparing dinner, while Ciel stood behind him, with his arms wrapped around Sebastian's waist. It was a slightly comical scene, because of the differences in their heights.

As the servants watched, Sebastian smiled, wiped his hands off on his apron, and turned. He put a hand on the boy's head, running it through his blue-ish grey hair. Ciel smiled and sat himself on the counter. Sebastian moved towards him. They were mere centimeters apart when Sebastian's eyes suddenly shifted, looking directly at the three servants.

All three panicked and backed away from the door, but they weren't fast enough. They had just gotten far enough away to not get hit by the door as it was violently swung open by the butler.

"Don't you three of better things to do than spy on your master?" Sebastian asked, that sweet, warning smile on his face again.

"Sebastian!" Ciel's voice called from inside the kitchen, "it's okay." He sounded subdued, "they were bound to find out eventually."

"Yes, my young master," Sebastian said, moving out of the way to let the servants in, who all made their way in front of where Ciel was sitting, looking very dignified, on the counter.

Ciel sighed, "I suppose it really was only a matter of time before Finny cracked and told you. I would have liked it if you made it a little longer than a few hours." He directed his last sentence at Finny alone, who refused to make eye contact. "But, since you've all seen, I suppose I should just tell you," he suddenly seemed to lose his composure. He cleared his throat nervously and looked away.

"Master," Sebastian cut in, "perhaps I could take this one?"

"Yes, please, Sebastian," Ciel said, sounding relieved.

Sebastian cleared his throat and addressed the servants, "the young master and I are in love."

"So…you really are…gay?" Bard asked nervously.

"Yes," Sebastian replied simply.

"However," Ciel nearly yelled, "this knowledge does not leave this estate. Have I made myself clear?"

All three servants nodded. Good. He knew they were loyal to him and him alone. They didn't have anyone else to turn to. They would keep his secret.

"Good," he turned and addressed Sebastian, "well, that's one problem taken care of, but there's still one more thing we need to deal with."

"Lady Elizabeth?" Sebastian guessed.

"Lady Elizabeth," Ciel replied, "and I'm not looking forward to it."

"Oh, Paula, isn't this wonderful?" Lizzie asked her maid as she stared out the carriage window, "I just love popping in to see Ciel when he least expects it!"

"Yes, of course, milady!" Paula replied enthusiastically. Though, in truth, she was not looking forward to this at all. She never looked forward to it. She had suspected for some time that Ciel Phantomhive did not love Elizabeth Middleford, but the boy was a good actor, and Lizzie remained none the wiser. Perhaps it was for the best. The boy may not love her, but he didn't want to hurt her. The only problem was that Paula had no idea who the young earl actually loved.

Surely it wasn't his maid, was it? Or maybe there was another maiden that she had never met because the boy was too careful about hiding her. That's what scared Paula whenever Lizzie wanted to 'pop in on Ciel unexpectedly'. She was worried that one time, Lizzie might see something she didn't want to see simply because Ciel didn't have time to cover the evidence. But so far, nothing had happened.

"We're here, Paula!" Lizzie announced.

"Get inside quickly, milady! It's still raining!" Paula warned.

Heeding Paula's warning, for she didn't much like rain, Elizabeth rushed up to the door of the mansion, with Paula hot on her heels, and knocked.

"What now?" Ciel said, clearly annoyed.

"I should get that," Sebastian said.

Ciel got off his butler, allowing him to stand up. Now that Ciel looked around, he wondered what they had been thinking. The kitchen floor was far from a comfortable place to…fool around.

Sebastian removed his hand from Ciel's bare waist and pulled his shirt back down. Ciel had to admit, it was nice not having to hide anymore, but it was still awkward both for himself and his servants, though Sebastian seemed immune. Sebastian's confidence certainly inspired Ciel, though in what way, he wasn't entirely certain.

Sebastian quickly fixed Ciel's clothes and hair so he looked presentable and went to open the door. Ciel made his way out of the kitchen and toward the main hall to greet his unexpected guest.

"Please come in! It's raining!" Sebastian said, "welcome, Lady Elizabeth. What brings you here?"

'Lizzie?' Ciel wondered, 'not now…please not now. I'm not ready for this.'

"We just thought we'd stop by. The rain was a bit unexpected, though," Lizzie's voice rang up to Ciel. He had the sudden urge to turn and run and lock himself in his room, but he knew that wouldn't accomplish anything.

"Ciel!" Lizzie's voice said as soon as she saw him. She ran over and quickly latched herself onto him.

Ciel gave Sebastian a hopeful look. Sebastian took the hint.

"Miss, Elizabeth, will you be joining us for dinner this evening?" Sebastian asked politely.

"Yes, I believe so. The rain delayed us, so we arrived later than expected, and we couldn't possibly return home tonight in this weather," Lizzie said, removing herself from Ciel, who let off a near inaudible sigh of relief.

"Then I shall set the table for two," Sebastian said, bowing politely as he left for the kitchen.

Paula hadn't missed the slight exchange between boy and butler and she cocked her head slightly. So the butler knew that the boy loved someone else. Now that she was here, it was just a matter of finding out who the other maiden was and what to do about it.

Dinner progressed in a tense silence. Somehow, Ciel found that hiding his affections for Sebastian had been easier before he had told Finny, Bard and Meyrin, though he wasn't sure how that had anything to do with Lizzie. Maybe it was just the prospect of someone besides himself and Sebastian knowing that made it awkward.

Lizzie picked up on Ciel's mood. She didn't know why he avoided her eyes, or why he seemed distant tonight. She wanted to find out why. Something was bothering him, and as his fiancée, it was his duty to find out what.

Paula watched Ciel's actions. Something had changed. Before, his act had been flawless in front of Elizabeth. He had been chivalrous and suave. He had put on the act that he truly loved her. But now, he avoided eye contact with her, and even the stiff way that he ate his food was different. Something had changed, though whether it was between him and the other woman or not was a different matter entirely.

After supper, Ciel and Lizzie withdrew to the drawing room. Sebastian poured tea while they spoke. Ciel's natural acting abilities seemed to be returning to him. He smiled and acted chivalrous and even let Lizzie win a few games of chess.

"Oh! I nearly forgot!" Lizzie announced suddenly, just as Ciel was about to declare 'checkmate'.

"Hmm? What did you forget?" Ciel asked, "that's checkmate, by the way." He set his piece down.

"We brought something that we found recently. It was part of the reason why we wanted to come here now!" Lizzie seemed excited, "Paula, please go bring the thing."

"Right away, milady!" Paula said before she exited the room.

Paula returned a moment later, slightly wet from being in the rain, carrying a small bag that wasn't closed completely. She handed it to Lizzie.

Before Lizzie had even touched the bag, Ciel knew what was in it. He gave Sebastian a glance, but it was wasted on the butler, since his attention was fully drawn by the thing that Lizzie now held in her hand.

Ciel's throat burned and itched and his eyes began to water.

"Isn't it cute?" Lizzie asked, "mother said we could keep it!"

"K-keep it?" Ciel asked.

"Yes! Do you want to hold her?" Lizzie asked, holding the kitten out to Ciel.

"No, thank you," Ciel said, moving as far away from the cat as possible while still saying seated. His nose began to run.

"We wanted to bring her here to show you!" Lizzie announced, playing with the cat's small ears.

Ciel sneezed, "it's not staying here, is it?"

"No, of course not! We're taking it back with us!" Lizzie replied.

Sebastian was suddenly kneeling in front of Lizzie, his eyes wide.

"Um, Sebastian, are you alright?" Lizzie asked.

"Can-can I hold her?" Sebastian asked.

"Sure," Lizzie said reluctantly, handing the kitten to Sebastian.

"Such a small body…" Sebastian began, "such soft fur. Such tiny ears. And her paws are so perfect."

Ciel sneezed again, then pinched the bridge of his nose, "Elizabeth, I would just like you to know that you have probably made the worst mistake in your entire life."

"What did I do?" Lizzie asked.

"You let Sebastian hold a cat," Ciel answered.

Lizzie looked at Ciel. His eyes and nose were tinted red and he was sniffling a lot, "are you getting sick, Ciel?"

"No…" Ciel said.

"What's wrong?"

Sometimes, Lizzie asked too many questions. To be honest, she was what was wrong. The last thing Ciel wanted to do was hurt Lizzie, but he didn't love her. Not only that, but he was gay. And he was in love with his butler. How could he possibly tell her all that without hurting her?

"I'm allergic to cats," he said instead.

Lizzie's eyes widened, "oh, my gosh, Ciel, I'm so sorry. I had no idea! I never would have brought her if I'd known…"

Ciel held up a hand to stop her from babbling all night and sneezed again, "don't worry about it. I'll just go somewhere else."

"But this is your house! You shouldn't have to go anywhere! I'll take the cat away," Lizzie said sweetly.

"Don't bother trying. Sebastian has the cat now. Good luck getting it from him. And even if you did manage, it wouldn't matter because he's now covered in cat hair."

Lizzie's eyes teared up, "I really am sorry, Ciel. I wish I'd known. I'm such a horrible fiancée. I should have known that. I never would have brought a cat here!"

Ciel sniffled, "Lizzie, really, it's okay. You didn't know."

"B-but…" her tears and sniffles now rivaled Ciel's own.

"Please don't worry."

Lizzie moved to hug Ciel, but he backed away. She looked hurt.

"The cat…" Ciel said simply.

Lizzie looked at her clothes, and noticed that cat hair that covered it, "right. I really am sorry, Ciel."

"I know. I'll just be in my room. Tell Sebastian that whenever he's done playing he can get changed then come ready me for bed."

"You should be getting ready for bed, too, milady," Paula said.

"Is it really that late?" Lizzie asked, "I guess I was having too much fun playing chess to notice."

Ciel smiled, then sneezed, then left.

Once out of the room, Ciel leaned against the wall, "ugh…I wish this was easier."

"Hello, master," Meyrin's voice said. She was walking down the hall that Ciel was standing in.

"Hi, Meyrin," Ciel said, pushing himself off the wall. He walked beside Meyrin.

"Are you alright, master? You look a bit ill…" Meyrin asked.

"I'll be fine. Lizzie brought a cat with her…"

Meyrin nodded her understanding.

"Meyrin, can I ask you a question?" Ciel asked.

"Me? A question? Well, sure, I guess…" Meyrin replied, "what is it?"

Ciel sighed, "if you were engaged to someone that you loved dearly, how would you want that person to tell you that they didn't love you?"

"This is about you and Lady Elizabeth, isn't it?"

"…Yes."

"Well…I suppose I'd just want him to tell me. I wouldn't want to be led on or anything."

"Even if it's not possible for you or him to break off the engagement?"

"Yes. I think so. I mean, people get married in arranged marriages. It happens. It's sad if they don't love each other, but it does happen."

"Right. That takes a little more courage than I think I have. I don't want her to be mad at me."

"Well, of course she'll be mad at you. There's no way to avoid that. But she'll have to come to terms with it eventually. I mean, she's still marrying you after all. It's not like you're going to leave her for your true love."

"It's not like I have a choice."

"Exactly! Which is why she'll eventually realize that there's nothing she can do about your feelings, but she can at least continue to love you, whether you love her or not."

"Somehow that isn't quite as helpful as I hoped it would be."

"I tried my best."

"I know. Thank you, Meyrin."

"You're welcome, master."

They parted ways and Ciel entered his room. His allergies had died down somewhat and he could breathe a little more easily. But then, there was the pressure on his chest that didn't come from allergies, but on the thing he had to tell Lizzie.

When he thought about it, he supposed he did love her, in a way. He had to, or else he wouldn't care what she thought and he wouldn't bother trying not to hurt her. So he figured he cared for her, but not as a lover; not as he cared for Sebastian.

He sighed and collapsed on his bed, "what am I going to do?"

"The weather seems to have cleared up nicely, so we'll probably leave sometime this morning. Oh! And Paula's keeping the cat in my room, so don't worry about it," Lizzie said over breakfast, "I also had Sebastian clean the drawing room, so there shouldn't be any traces of cat hair left."

"Thank you, Lizzie," Ciel replied.

"Anything for the man I love," Lizzie said innocently.

Ciel put down his fork and knife, "about that, Lizzie…there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Really? What is it?" the ever-joyous girl asked.

"Well…you see…I do love you, Elizabeth, just…not in the way you love me," Ciel chided himself. That sounded stupid.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Lizzie asked, clearly subdued.

Ciel took a deep breath to steady himself. He could feel Sebastian standing behind him and gained confidence from the butler's presence, "don't misunderstand. I don't want to call off the engagement. I definitely still want to marry you. But I think you should know that I…I love someone else."

Tears were appearing in Elizabeth's eyes, "y-you do?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, Lizzie."

Tears fell down Elizabeth's face, "Ciel Phantomhive! You're the worst fiancé ever!" She stood and dashed away.

"Lizzie! Wait!" Ciel stood and ran after her. He grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her, "I'm really sorry. I do love you, just not in the same way as you love me. I want to marry you. I do! I promise."

"Y-you're not just s-saying that?" Lizzie asked.

Ciel wiped the tears from her eyes, "no, I'm not."

Lizzie sniffed, "o-okay. I believe you." Suddenly, her face became hard, "just you wait, Ciel Phantomhive! I'll make you love me!" She yelled into the house, "Paula! Grab my things! We're leaving right now!"

A few minutes later, Paula descended the stairs.

"I promise, Ciel, I will make you love me!" Lizzie blew a kiss at Ciel and winked, "and don't worry. I won't tell mother."

Paula ran past Ciel and Sebastian. Ciel felt his nose twitch and knew Paula had the cat with her. 'Good,' he thought, 'at least they're taking that with them.'

The front door slammed closed, leaving Ciel and Sebastian standing alone.

"Couldn't break off the engagement, huh?" Sebastian asked.

"The way I see it, I won't be alive long enough to marry her, anyway," Ciel replied.

"That's probably true," Sebastian said.

"So, it's you and Grell and me and Elizabeth. Looks like we both have someone chasing after us."

"Yes, but the difference between you and Elizabeth and Grell and I is that you and Elizabeth will die, whereas Grell and I will live forever."

Ciel chuckled, "granted."

"So, what do you want to do now, my young master?"

Ciel smirked at the demon, "oh, I have a few ideas…"


End file.
